Note: THE PROM! Hopefully, Arya's prom will go better than mine, but we'll see, shan't we?
Summary: In which Joffrey gets his revenge, and Arya surprises Gendry.
Arya Stark never thought she'd be so happy to just set foot on solid ground, but when she stepped out of the limo, she nearly wept with joy. It had been horrible. She had to stop herself nearly five million times from ripping Joffrey's teeth out. Had his mother taught him any manners? Well, probably not, but still! How dare he ask Gendry if he had even graduated high school? The little-ARGH! She could kill him, she really could.
If she had gained anything pleasurable from that ride in the limo, it was that she would have full rights to complain loudly for at least a solid week without anyone telling her that she wasn't being fair. And, that she now was fully entitled to one day pay Joffrey back, which she had really intended to do anyway. But no one insulted Gendry like that. No one. Joffrey was going to regret the day he ever called him a bastard.
"What are you smirking so evilly about?" Gendry asked her in a low voice, and Arya chuckled.
"Oh just fantasizing about how I'm going to beat the crap out of that little moron," she said casually, nodding to Joffrey, who was walking ahead of them, hand in hand with Sansa. Gendry laughed.
"Count me in on that, will you?" He asked. "I don't want you to have all the fun."
"But of course," she said, taking his arm, "where would I be without my partner in crime?"
"So what's the plan then? I'll beat the shit out of him, and then you'll make him cry?"
Arya snorted with unflattering laughter, causing both Sansa and Joffrey to turn around and give them disapproving looks.
"Something along the lines of that," she said, "though I think I'll help you with the beating, if you don't mind."
"Oh no," Gendry said in mock seriousness, "I'll even let you throw the beginning punch, ladies first and all that."
"You really are a gentleman," she said pompously, and then, before she could talk herself out of it, she pulled him down and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Starting the act already?" He asked. "We aren't even inside yet."
Arya could feel her cheeks heating with a blush, which would have been an angry red if it wasn't for the layer of foundation on her face.
"Just getting warmed up," she lied smoothly.
"That reminds me," Gendry said as they walked in the building, a nice hotel, "how exactly do you want to play this?"
"I don't know," she shrugged. "Just follow my lead?"
"Well, I'll have to know basic details," Gendry said playfully. "I don't want to blow it, you know."
"Okay," Arya replied thoughtfully, "let's just keep it simple."
"Sounds beautiful to me," Gendry agreed. She rolled her eyes.
"So basically, let's just stick to the truth, except that at one point, we stopped being friends and starting being lovers," she joked, wriggling her eyebrows and then snorting with laughter.
"Oh, so we've had sex then?" Gendry said, eyebrows raised.
Foundation or no foundation, Arya Stark was blushing brilliantly.
"Of course," she said, trying to sound nonchalant. "I mean, come on, look at me! How could you keep your hands off me?"
Gendry's face turned red, but he grinned at her none-the-less.
"I'm not so bad looking myself, you know. Sometimes it's difficult for me, how you're always nagging at me, telling me to take my cloths off so that you can look at my glorious body-"
"Oh please," Arya cut across him as he snickered, "I just ate."
They reached the doors, where chaperones were checking bags, and Arya felt her throat clench slightly with nerves. Already, people were staring. Her classmates, were turning, whispering. Brushing off the butterflies in her stomach, she shook her head and stood tall, determined to look confident. I'll show those bitches yet, she thought smugly as they passed the coat check.
"Ready?" Gendry whispered in her ear.
"It's showtime," she said back, a wicked grin on her face, which he returned, and, arm in arm, they strode into the dance after Sansa and Joffrey, Margaery and her date trailing behind.
At once, Arya could tell that she would be infinitely grateful that Gendry was at her side. She could not have survived this without him. There were swirling lights, shrieking girls dancing, and an array of food and drinks that were, admittedly, looking actually not that bad. There were white curtains hung up as artistic decorations, but where Arya guessed couples were going off to make out, and an array of tables to sit down. White christmas lights hung from the ceiling providing a small bit of light while horrible music blasted, drowning out all other sounds.
"Oh lord," Arya muttered under her breath, feeling embarrassed for having dragged Gendry here. This must be hell for him, she thought guiltily.
"Well? What do you think?" Gendry shouted at her over the din.
"I hate it!" She shouted back. He smiled.
"That's my girl."
"ARYA!" A horde of girls, all of whom she was positive had absolutely hated her a day ago, were running towards her as though she was their best friend. Hell, she didn't know any of their names, or even who some of them were. She gripped Gendry's arm for support, and when she looked up, she saw that his jaw was clenched and he was glaring, knowing that these girls were the ones that she had told him about.
"Hi," she said through gritted teeth.
"Aren't you going to tell us who your date is?" One of the girls, a bleached blonde, shouted, looking Gendry up and down.
"I'm her boyfriend," Gendry said at once, dropping Arya's arm and putting his arm around her shoulder, his hand gripping her protectively.
"Oooh!" The girl said, and the others all whispered to each other, looking at Gendry as if he was some sort of dessert. Arya reached up to her shoulder and laced her fingers with his, giving them a simpering smile. "How come you've never told us about him Arya?"
"Because you never asked," she said, a huge false smile plastered on her face.
"Oh, how old are you?" Another girl asked flirtatiously, stepping forward. Arya glared at her, the little tart.
"Twenty-two," Gendry said shortly. They all sighed.
"That's so cool," the girl said.
"Is it?" Gendry asked, looking throughly bored. Arya suppressed a snort of laughter.
"So, how long have you two been dating?" The first girl demanded.
Gendry and Arya looked at each other. She felt panicked. They hadn't discussed this, what if they were about to get caught-
"Not long," Gendry said smoothly.
"I see," the second girl said, smirking.
"Yeah," Gendry said. "I wish we had started earlier, then maybe I would be able to get my work done."
"I'm sorry?" The girl asked, confused.
"Well, we've just been at it all the time, shagging like rabbits," Gendry said earnestly, "I haven't had much time for anything else, if you know what I mean."
Arya was trying not to laugh so hard she thought she might piss her pants. Oh it had been worth it, so worth it, to see the looks on their faces! She should have brought a camera.
"Oh," the girl said, her eyes wide, absolutely flabbergasted.
"Now, if you'll just excuse us," Gendry said, smiling, and whisked Arya away, leaving the group of girls standing there, all gaping.
As soon as they were out of ear shot, they both took one look at each other, and burst out laughing hysterically. Arya doubled over, unable to breathe, as Gendry howled, wiping tears from his eyes.
"Their faces!" She gasped. "Their faces! Oh Gendry you shouldn't have!"
"I'll be damned if any of them call you a lesbian again," he said, looking very proud of himself.
"A slag maybe, but not a lesbian," Arya sighed.
"Filthy little pricks the lot of them," he said, glaring after them. But then he smiled at her. "I hope their faces stay that way, it would improve their looks."
Arya burst into laughter again, and Gendry chimed in.
"Oh I love you," she gasped, wiping tears from her eyes as well. As soon as she said it, her heart gave a lurch, but Gendry didn't seem to notice.
"That was fun," he said. "Let's do that again."
"Oh good! There's a group of jocks over there, a real group of assholes, let's go prey on them!" Arya said, cackling as he offered her his arm.
As the night wore on, Arya took every mean thing she had said about prom back. She had never had this much fun in her life. Playing all the people that had made her life miserable since elementary school was like a gift from god. And Gendry, Gendry was a genius! From regaling his stories of how difficult it was for him to catch Arya, as she was so sought after by hot men, to talking about his motorcycle and 'badass' lifestyle, he left every group of people they talked to gaping after him with Arya on his arm, feeling ten stories high.
When they got bored of that, they decided to sample the large array of food laid out for them, and then Gendry pulled her to the dance floor. Though Arya insisted she sucked at dancing, Gendry soon had her laughing as he went around, imitating the girls in her grade, pretending to flip his hair and thrusting his hips.
"Stop!" She cried. "You're making my sides hurt! And my make-ups gone to shit!"
"Doesn't matter," Gendry said as the music slowed. "You look wonderful."
Arya didn't know whether it was that comment, or the fact that she was delirious with laughter, or maybe she was just caught up in the act, but before she knew what she was doing, she grabbed the back of his neck and went up on her tip toes, pulling his lips to hers and kissed him.
Instantly, her mind screamed at her to stop, that he would be uncomfortable, that he would pull away... But he didn't.
Instead, he returned her kiss, deepening it, and wrapping his arms around her, lifting her up so that she might wrap her arms around his neck.
Eyes closed, Arya could feel her head swimming, and all she could think about was that this wasn't real. This night couldn't be this perfect, it just couldn't. She was going to wake up any second now, she was.
They broke the kiss simultaneously, and Arya felt herself sink back on her heels. Around them, people were staring, not all, but a good deal of them. Arya looked over to see Sansa and Joffrey slow dancing, Joffrey looking disgusted and Sansa just looking shocked. Behind them, Margaery was smirking smugly.
But it was Gendry she was afraid to look at, and when she did, he looked like he had taken a blow to the head, his eyes wide with questioning.
"There," she said, smiling up at him. "That'll keep them guessing."
Ooooooooooooooo
That'll keep them guessing. Ha! How right she was. It was certainly keeping him guessing, Gendry thought, feeling as if he'd just been hit by a bus.
She might have given him proper warning! So he wouldn't just be standing there, gaping like an idiot. But no, that wasn't Arya's way. She just had to go and kiss him, didn't she? She just had to go and muck up his already very confused feelings even more.
Not that he minded.
He couldn't help but keep grinning like a fool, smiling at people he didn't even know or like, while they all gave him strange looks. He even smiled at Joffrey, who promptly flipped him off, looking like he had just stepped in dog shit.
After they finished the slow dance, Arya snickering at all the other thunderstruck people while Gendry could only pretend he was listening to her, Gendry excused himself to go visit the loo, giving him a chance to clear his head.
As he stood there, taking a piss, trying to get his head straight, the door swung open and a pair of annoying teen boys entered, talking.
"-did you see that? I thought someone said Arya Stark was, you know..."
"Well, obviously not. Did you see that guy? He's huge! And sketch too. He's probably a member of a gang or..."
His voice trailed off in horror as Gendry casually turned around, zipping up, and then walked over to the sink, washed his hands and gave the boys a pleasant smile before leaving, trying very hard not to laugh.
The second he exited the bathroom, however, a hand shot out and grabbed his arm.
"WHAT THE BLOODY-"
"Sorry!" Arya said, laughing. "I didn't mean to startle you."
"Yeah, I'm sure," Gendry said grumpily, his heart beating in his ears. "What's up?"
"It's Joffrey," she sighed. "He wants to leave."
"What, now?" Gendry asked. "It's only just begun."
"Gendry, it's fifteen minutes until midnight. Joffrey wants to leave so we can avoid traffic on the way home," Arya explained, frowning.
Had all that time really passed? Gendry checked his watch in amazement. It had.
"Okay," he relented, shrugging. "Fine by me. Where are they?"
"At the coat check," Arya said, already leading him there, pulling him by his elbow.
By the time they got there, Joffrey and Sansa were all ready to go. Sansa with her silk wrap and Joffrey looking, as per-usual, thoroughly unpleasant, a scowl on his face.
"Where's Margaery?" Gendry asked Sansa as Arya went to get her purse and jacket.
"She's staying on," Sansa said while Joffrey scowled in the background, muttering darkly to himself, "I think she's spending the night with her date."
"Ahh," Gendry said in understanding as Arya appeared, purse in hand and ready to go. Without further ado they left, Joffrey leading the way.
The limo ride back wasn't nearly as bad as the ride there. At least Joffrey didn't even bother speaking, and at one point, after several yawns, Arya laid her head on Gendry's shoulder, her eyes drifting closed sleepily.
When the limo pulled to a stop at what Gendry assumed was Winterfell (they had planned to all be dropped off there, and Arya would give Gendry a ride home so that he wouldn't have to take his motorcycle and ruin his suit), he and Arya clamored out, both yawning.
"What the-"
"This is the Forge!" Arya snapped, wheeling around to see Joffrey slamming the door of the limo closed. "What are you playing at you little twat?"
"Sorry," Joffrey simpered, rolling down the window and not looking sorry in the least, "but change of plans. It turns out, we won't be going to Winterfell tonight."
"OPEN THE DOOR YOU LITTLE SHIT!" Arya shrieked, racing for the window, but Joffrey was too quick for her, rolling up the window just enough so she couldn't reach inside and unlock the door.
"I'm sorry, but no," Joffrey sneered. "Looks like you're locked out for the night while we go to Kings Landing. My uncle Jaime has a nice little condo down there, it should be lovely. It's really too bad you can't come. Drive on."
The limo began to pull away.
"SANSA!" Arya screeched, and Gendry could hear Sansa pleading with Joffrey and asking the car to stop, but he just rolled up the window.
"STOP!" Arya screamed, running after them, wrenching off her shoes and then proceeding to chuck them at the limo, where they bounced off and into the darkness. "WANKER! SHIT HEAD! TWAT!"
"Arya stop!" Gendry called. "I'll just call a cab!"
"Oh that little-HE'S SO DEAD!" She shrieked, stamping her feet and screaming in rage after the limo, which had already disappeared from view.
Gendry fished through his pockets, and then realized that he had left his phone at home.
"Arya!" he called. "Can you call? I left my phone at home!"
"Oh sure, I'll just get my- OH THAT LITTLE SHIT! HE TOOK MY PURSE!" Arya roared, and for the next few minutes, Gendry watched as she swore loudly, bellowing obscenities into the night.
"Now what?" she asked when she had finished, breathing heavily after shouting so much.
"I dunno," Gendry shrugged. "I've got my keys. I suppose we'll have to stay here for the night and in the morning Yoren will give us a ride home."
"Here?" Arya sighed, looking dubious. "All right."
She started to make her way towards him, but-
"Wait!" Gendry shouted. "There's glass all over the place, you'll cut your feet! Here, I'll give you a ride."
He walked over to her and crouched down, feeling her wrap her arms around his neck and hop up on his back as he linked his arms around her legs.
"Just like old times, ehh?" He chuckled as he carried her effortlessly across the parking lot and to the door.
"I must be heavier than I was back then," Arya mused as he set her down, getting out his keys and unlocking the door, ushering her in.
"Only a little," he teased, turning on the lights as they stood there, taking in the Forge.
"I guess we could sleep in the office..." Arya sighed, looking unhappy.
"I guess," Gendry sighed, looking around. "Except the carpets disgusting, and it's freezing in there... Hey! I've got an idea."
"What?"
"We could always take the ferrari," he said, pointing over to the beautiful red car that just sat there, unlocked, and waiting patiently.
"All right," Arya shrugged. "I sort of always wanted to sit in one of those anyway."
"Haven't you already?" Gendry asked, walking over and opening the door for her so that she could climb into the passenger seat. "I suppose the Lannisters have like, sixteen or something."
"Hardly," she snorted when he walked around and opened up the driver's door, getting in as well. "And if they did, they wouldn't let me near one, let alone in one."
Gendry laughed, sitting back and closing his eyes, exhausted, and it was only one in the morning.
"So," he sighed, "how was it? Everything you dreaded?"
"No," she said softly, and he turned around, popping one eye open to see her curled towards him, arms around her shoulders, looking cold.
"Here," he said, quickly unbuttoning his suit jacket and handing it to her.
"Thanks," she said earnestly, wrapping it around her shoulders and then taking a sniff. "It smells like you."
"Really? That's weird, I've only had it for a few days," Gendry said, smiling. "But then again, you always tell me I stink anyway."
"Ha ha," she said drily, looking up at the roof of the car. A long silence passed between them, and Gendry closed his eyes, already feeling sleep beginning to turn his brain drunk, when Arya cleared her throat.
"Were you... Were you mad? When I kissed you?" she whispered in a very small voice. He opened his eyes to look at her, surprised to see her eyes very wide and cautious.
"No," he said at once, frowning. "It was fine. Brilliant, actually, a very nice touch."
"Oh," she said, sounding relieved. "Good."
There was another pause.
"Was... Was it bad?" she asked in an even quieter voice. Gendry raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Was that the first time you'd ever kissed anyone?" He asked, genuinely surprised. Her face exploded in an angry red blush.
"Yes," she said, looking absolutely mortified. "Was it obvious?"
"No," Gendry answered honestly.
"So... It was all right then?" She pressed tentatively. Gendry smiled and closed his eyes again.
"Oh yeah," he sighed. "Don't worry. You just need a bit of practice and you'll be fine."
Really, once she had practiced, she'd get over her insecurities. And once she'd gotten over that, well... But he didn't let himself think about that. Instead, he sighed, getting comfortable, and drifted off to sleep, a ghost of a smile still on his face.
I know that some of you wanted the night to end, shall we say, a little differently, but... Well, let's just say it's rated M for a reason... So just keep reading. I've planned this all out, and actually, it's probably going to be way longer than I expected, so if you could bare with me that would be awesome. I'm all for things working out somewhat realistically, and I really don't think that at this point they're ready for shenanigans. There have to be at least a few more scenes of awkward sexual tension, okay